VIDEO: Catching Up With Lake Forest Boys Lacrosse

Just how can the Scouts win state in 2012? You can watch our interview with rising senior Phil Sheridan on our Facebook page by clicking here.

It was a memorable season for Lake Forest High School's boys' lacrosse team: 15 wins, an undefeated conference season and a quarterfinal state playoff run.

For the Scouts to break through and contend for a state championship in 2012, they will have to replace All-American midfielder Sean Kelleher and All-Conference attackman Ryan Laughlin, who have taken their talents to college.

Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Patch caught up with head coach Dan Maigler before a recent summer practice.

What are you guys doing here?

It’s an opportunity for the guys to keep a stick in their hands and do some bonding during the summer. It gives me an opportunity to meet the kids that are coming in. Some of these guys are rising freshman who I’ve never seen before. Some of our guys are really committed to lacrosse – 35 to 40 percent play on elite travel squads – so for the guys who don’t want to do that or their parents don’t want to spend $7,000 for a summer, we get them out, set up some games and scrimmages so they can keep working on their skills in the summer. We’re practicing until July 21.

How important is the summer? What skills can they develop during this time?

It’s crucial for the guys that are not elite players to get that individual instruction and coaching time from me. I can give them a lot more time, attention and work on skills they want to get better at such as shooting with their left hand. They also build confidence. Lacrosse is a game, where in order to be good, you have to believe you are a little better than you are. Some kids are tentative. Summer is a time where it’s more relaxed and you can try things that maybe you wouldn’t during the regular season. In the summer, you’re a little less afraid to screw up. You can set a new plateau as you are not afraid to rise up and make mistakes.

You just finished your second season as head coach. Talk about the evolution of the program since you took over.

I’m really excited about how our program is now being perceived within our own school as a responsible program. There was a point where, and this is the case at many high schools, the coaches of the more established sports – football, basketball, baseball – they don’t want their kids playing lacrosse because they feel like they lose something. Now we’re becoming more fully integrated into the school, where now if they are not encouraged, they are not going to be disappointed if they hear a kid is playing lacrosse in the spring instead of doing track or something else. I want us to be where little kids growing up in Lake Forest say ‘I want to be a Scout lacrosse player’ and it feels like it’s accessible to them even if they didn’t start playing until their freshman year of high school. They don’t feel like it’s for some kids, it’s for all kids. Because of the size of our high school, winning a state championship is going to be tough in other sports. But because of our community and where we are, we can win a state championship in lacrosse, it can be our premier program and that’s where I want to take it. 

What other sports complement lacrosse?

We see good matches in football, but the best is basketball. A basketball player who plays lacrosse is going to bring an additional toughness back to basketball. If you’ve taken a few sticks to the ribs, you are not going to be afraid to drive the lane. We love basketball players because they play great defense. Good lacrosse defense is not using your stick; it’s being in body position in front of your man. So the exact same fundamentals in basketball where it’s the ball, you and the net – in that order – it’s the same in lacrosse with the ball, you and the net. Our best defender is Phil Sheridan, who came up through the basketball program. He’s now a lockdown defender. The conditioning also makes it a good fit. We also love football players as they aren’t afraid to hit. 

Who are some athletes we can expect to make a quantum leap next year?

Rising senior Alex Watkins at attack. On the junior-varsity level two years ago, he scored 75 goals. He was second team all-conference last year on varsity. He’s a guy I don’t think other teams are going to be able to stop physically. Another guy who was injured a lot last year is rising junior Joe Kurschner. I’m so excited about our entire defense with Jason Handler, Matt Wagener, Joe Losacco, Ethan Ulmer, Will Owens, and Sheridan. They will all be seniors. We’re going to be tough to score on.

Have you gotten over the state tournament loss to New Trier?

I’ve watched the tape two or three times by now. I don’t want to forget about that game as there are certain things we need to learn and emphasize, and keep it smoldering a little bit.